Arthur e



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

v A. E. APPLEYARD. SAFETY DEVICE FOR STREET CARS.

No. 443,738. I I Patented Dec. 30, .1890.

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

A. E. APPLEYARD. SAFETY DEVICE FOR STREET CARS.

No. 448,738. Patented Dec. 30, 1890.

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" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR E. APPLEYARD, OF BOSTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO HENRY L. MILLISAND JOHN S. FOLSOM, BOTH OF MILLIS, MASSACHUSETTS.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR STREET-CARS.

SPEdIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 443,738, dated December30, 1890. Application filed May 19,1890. Serial No. 352,309. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR E. APPLEYARD,

of Boston, in the county of Sufiolk and State of lllassachusetts'haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Devices forStreet-Oars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has for its object to provide an improved guard or fenderfor street-cars which are impelled by electricity or by powerdrivencables, &c.; and it consists in the improved devices hereinafterdescribed, whereby serious injury to a person or animal will beprevented in case the car collides with such person or animal.

In the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification,Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a street-car provided with myimproved safety devices. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of a portionof the car. Figs. 3 and 4 represent longitudinal sections of portions ofthe car, showing the action of one of my improved safety devices.

The same letters and numerals of reference indicate the same partsin allthe figures.

In carrying out my invention I provide at the front end of the car akind of receptacle or basket to, which is composed of a strongsupporting-frame pivotally connected at b to ears or lugs on the bottomof the car-platform c, said frame comprising the two metallic sidepieces 2 2, each having a rearwardly-extending ear 3, which receives thepivot b, and suitable cross-rods 4, rigidly connecting the side pieces2, the whole constituting a strong supporting-frame which is capable ofoscillating vertically on the pivots b. To said frame is connected asuitable recessed bottom or diaphragm composed of a piece 5 of nettingmade of stout cords or twine suitably netted or knotted to form anetting, said netting being preferably raised at its edges by flexiblesupports 6, which I attach to the frame, as shown in Fig. 1. Saidsupports 6 are preferably parts of a continuous cord extending aroundthe margin of a piece of netting and passed through holes 7 in thesupportingframe, the edges of the netting being engaged with said cord,which constitutes a substantially rectangular flexible frame held in aninclined position, its forward portion being close to the track and itsrear portion raised in front of the fender.

It will be seen that the basket or receptacle arranged as shown at thefront of the ear and projecting forward from the front platform with itslower edge close to the track is adapted to receive the body ofanindividual or animal that may be caught upon the track by the car, thebody being received in the basket and held thereby without liability ofserious injury. The recessed form of the diaphragm or bottom 5 enablesit to hold an object falling against it, as will be readily seen. Thepivotal connection of the frame of the receptacle to the platform of thecar by means of the pivots 1) enables the forward end of said receptacleto rise and fall, so that the tilting or rising and falling motion whichthe car experiences in its movement over the track will not cause injuryto the receptacle or basket, the forward end of the latter rising whenthe car-platform descends sufficiently to bring it into contact with thetrack. I prefer to pro vide the forward end of the frame of thereceptacle with trucks 8 8, adapted to bear upon the track-rails whenthe receptacle is de pressed by the movements of the car, said wheelspreventing injurious contact between the receptacle and the track,

e 6 represent springs interposed between the arms S-of the frame of thereceptacle and the bottom of the car-platform and pressing downwardlyupon the frame in advance of the pivots b, so that they hold thereceptacle in its lowest position with a yielding pressure, saidposition being determined by stops con sisting of the heads f ofverticalbolts or studs around which the springs e are coiled, said headsbeing below the arms 3 of the frame of the receptacle and adapted tosupport said arms against the downward pressure of the g the frame underthe netting 5, and serving to arrest the descent of any body that maybreak through the netting 5; or in case the netting 5 is not broken, butis caused to sag 'deeply by the weight of a body thrown upon with lugs7t" it, the supplementarynetting 5 assiststhc netting 5 to support thesaid body.

7: represents a curved scoop or troughshaped receptacle extending acrossthe under side of the car-platform behind the receptacle a. Said scoopis attached to arms 1', which are pivoted at j to supports attached tothe bottom of the ear-platform, so that the scoop is adapted to be'aised and lowered by the swinging movements of the arms 11 upon saidpivots. The scoop is normally held in the raised position shown in Figs.1, 2, and 8 by a locking device composed of two arms or levers k 1.,pivoted at m to a support on the bottom of the car platform and providedat their upper ends, which are formed to engage the forward ends of thearms 1', as shown in Fig. 3, when the levers 7c are in {their normalposition. The levers 7; are connected by a board or strip 0, extendingcrosswise of the car, the lower edge of said board being so near thetrack that an object of the size of the body of a person cannot passbetween it and the track without displacing it, and causing the leversto swing baekwardly, as shown in Fig. 4. When the levers 7a are thusswung backwardly by contact with an object on the track, their lugs 70release the scoop-supporting arms 2', whereupon springs 1), attached tothe bottom of the platform and pressing downwardly on the arms 7?,depress the scoop h and cause it to bear with a yielding pressure uponthe track or road-bed, as shown in Fig. 4, so that the scoop is inposition to catch the body or the object that caused the displacement ofthe levers k. It will be seen, therefore, that in case a body should belying on the track, so that the receptacle a would pass over withoutcatching such body it will come in contact with the strip 0, thusreleasing the scoop, and will therefore be caught and carried along bythe scoop without liability of coming in contact with the wheels, theforward edge of the scoop catching the body close to the ground andhaving a tendency to roll the body into the cavity of the scoop.

It is obvious that the scoop and its locking and unlockingaccompaniments may be used without the receptacle a, but in general Iprefer to use it as a supplementary safeguard in connection with saidreceptacle.

In case the car is not turned end for end at the conclusion of each tripduplicate devices such as are above described should be provided, one ateach end of the car, as shown in Fig. 1.

It will be seen that the front portion of the receptacle a is located sonear the road-bed or track that in striking a person on the track itwill almost inevitably cause the person to fall toward the car and intothe basket. Said front portion is a part of the rope 6, and is thereforeof a yielding nature, so that it will not be liable to severely injurethe portions of the body which it may strike.

I prefer to provide the forward portions of the frame-pieces 2 2 withelastic coverings or cushions 9 to prevent injury to the legs or ankleswith which said portions may come in contact.

I claim- 1. The combination of a car-platform, a frame pivoted to theplatform and having a depressed forward portion and a raised rearportion, a recessed bottom'or diaphragm of yielding or flexibleconstruction supported at its margin by said frame and held by thelatter with its forward edge depressed near the level of the track andits rear edge and ends raised, said frame and diaphragm being adapted torise and fall by the pivotal connection of the frame to thecar-platform, and stops to limit the downward movement, as set forth.

2. The combination, with a car-platform, of a supporting-frame composedof rigidlyconnected metallic side pieces pivotally connected with theplatform and having their forward ends depressed in close proximity tothe track and their rear ends elevated in front of the fender of theplatform, and arecessed bottom or diaphragm of flexible constructionattached at its margin to said frame, as set forth.

3. The combination, with a car-platform, of a supporting-frame composedof rigidlyconnected metallic side pieces pivotally connected with theplatform and having their forward ends depressed in close proximity tothe track and their rear ends elevated in front of the fender of theplatform, a marginal yielding support composed of a cord supported bysaid side pieces in theform of a substantially rectangular inclinedframe, and a recessed flexible diaphragm or bottom attached at itsmargin. to said support, as set forth.

4.. The combination, with a car-platform, of a supporting-frame composedof rigidlyconnected metallic side pieces pivotally connected with theplatform and having their forward ends depressed in close proximity tothe track and their rear ends elevated in front of the fender of theplatform, a marginal yielding support composed of a cord sup ported bysaid side pieces in the form of a substantiallyrectangularinclinedframe, a recessed flexible diaphragm orbottom attached at its margin tosaid support, and a supplemental flexiblc bottom or diaphragm 5',secured to the supporting-frame below the recessed diaphragm, as setforth.

5. The improved basket or receptacle for car-platforms, composed of themetallic frame consisting of the end pieces 2 2, rearwardlyprojectingarms 3, and cross-rods a, the net 5, secured to a marginal cord engagedwith said frame, and the supplemental netting 5, secured to the framebelow the netting 5, as set forth.

6. The combination, with a car-platform, of a forwardly-projectingreceptacle or basket connected by pivots with the platform, springsarrangedto press said receptacle downwardly, and stops to limit thedownward movement of the basket by said springs, as set forth."

7. The co1nbination,with a car, of the scoop h, extending crosswise ofthe carin advance of the wheels thereof, the arms tattached to saidscoop and pivoted to supports on the bottom of the car-platform, and thedepending levers it, formed to engage the forward ends of said arms '6,and thereby lock the scoop in a raised position, as set forth.

8. The combination, with a car, of the scoop h, the arms i, attached tosaid scoop and pivoted at j to supports on the bottom of the car-JormetLat their upper ends to engage the forward ends of the arms 1-,and the cross piece ARTHUR E. APPLEYARD.

Witnesses:

'O. F. BROWN,

A. D. HARRISON.

platform, the pivoted depending levers 7t 7t, 15

or strip 0, attached to and connecting the le-

